The Nation Newspaper

Tag: nasarawa utd

  • Ifeanyi Okoye ready for Nasarawa Utd

    Ifeanyi Okoye ready for Nasarawa Utd

    Attacking midfielder Ifeanyi Okoye, is hoping to fire more of his  shots as Tornadoes host Nasarawa United on Sunday at the Lokoja Township Stadium.  Okoye’s strike against Abia Warriors on Wednesday in Umuahia was like a flash which displaced the Warriors goalkeeper but unfortunately failed to kiss the net preferring instead to hit the bar.  Okoye, who has been singing consolidation songs into the ears of his teammates believes once a match is played the next thing is to focus on the next and not dwell on the past.” I always like to shift focus on the next match to improve on the past,” he said

    Tornadoes coach Abubakar Bala has said: “I don’t want to build my team around a selected striker or players, I want a team that every player can score even the defenders. If I have my way I would love to keep all the players together for at least three years.”

    Tornadoes have achieved a 50-50 result in the last four matches losing two and winning two. Nasarawa United are 12th on the log five places below Tornadoes.

  • El-Kanemi thrash Nasarawa Utd 2-0

    El-Kanemi thrash Nasarawa Utd 2-0

    El-Kanemi have put their foot in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) title race so early in the season by cutting Plateau United’s lead at the top to two points after a 2-0 win over Nasarawa United.

    Ladan Bosso’s men had to wait till the business end of their Matchday 10 game to despatch Nasarawa United at the El-Kanemi Sports Stadium in Maiduguri through goals from Bello Kofarmata and Samuel Mathias.

    The win takes El-Kanemi’s points to 18 and at the same stretched their invincibility at home to 18 victories on the spin.

    For the league leaders, Plateau United, the story was different at FC Ifeanyiubah. They were defeated 0-1 through Prince Aggreh’s goal from the spot.

    Plateau United played the last 31 minutes of the match with 10 players after Salomon Junior was sent off for a second bookable offence.

  • Nasarawa Utd boss urges ABSFC to maintain good start to season

    Nasarawa Utd boss urges ABSFC to maintain good start to season

    The Chairman of Nigeria Premier League Club Owners and Chairman Nasarawa United FC of Lafia, Barr. Issac Dalandi, has urged the players and officials of Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Ilorin FC, to keep the tempo with which they started the league going.

    Barr. Dalandi, said this on Tuesday at the newly renovated Lafia Township where the Saraki Boys had a training session before they completed their journey to Makurdi for a clash with Lobi Stars on Wed. Jan. 25.

    The Club Owners chairman told the players that the North Central region is happy with the way they have started the season but reminded them to keep their heads up and not lose focus.

    The Nasarawa United Chairman was received at the training by the ABSFC’s Team Coordinator, Malam Idris Musa, who described Lafia as second home for his team.

    “I must commend you guys for the good start, you must keep this going.

    “You guys are young and you must make wise use of the energy in you to pilot this team higher.

    “ABSFC and Nasarawa United are one family hence the reason I decided to visit your training this morning” Dalandi said.

    The Nasarawa United boss gave the captain of the team, Boje Abdullahi an undisclosed amount of money for refreshment for the players.

    ABSFC was in Lafia for a night because it could not complete its journey to Makurdi in a day.

    The Saraki Boys will lock horns with Lobi Stars of Makurdi on Wed. Jan. 25, at Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi.

    Meanwhile, ABSFC Coach Henry Makinwa, has named an unchanged squad for the match day 4 clash with Lobi Stars.

    Even though he said he will assess the players on Wednesday morning before he make up his mind over who to start the match with Lobi Stars.

     

  • Nasarawa Utd sets sight on youth development

    Nasarawa Utd sets sight on youth development

    Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) outfit, Nasarawa United have made it a priority to focus on grassroots development programme in 2017.

    This was confirmed to Goal by a top official of the club as part of the activities to encourage the youths to thrive in Lafia and its environs.

    “We have decided to emphasise on youth development since it is the future of our club and Nigerian football. The plan is to unearth the next Jay Jay Okocha, Rashidi Yekini, Segun Odegbami and the likes,” a top official of the club told Goal.

    “We know there are many 16 to 19-year-old footballers in the country who do not have the opportunity to develop their talent. We will pick these amazing talents and promote them to the main team.

    The official noted that the team will  compete with the best in 2017 and the developmental programme will serve as the platform for marketing the players that have been unearthed.

    Nasarawa United will face FC Ifeanyi Ubah in the final of the Federation Cup on November 6.

  • Adah calls Nasarawa Utd tough Cup foes

    Adah calls Nasarawa Utd tough Cup foes

    FC IfeanyiUbah attacking midfielder, Stephen Adah has described as tough his side’s Federation Cup final opponents, Nasarawa United.

    The Anambra Warriors will face the Solid Miners in this year’s Federation Cup final expected to hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Sunday, October 30.

    “I do not want to believe that Nasarawa United are better preferred Cup final opponents to Enyimba. We are not surprised that Nasarawa United defeated Enyimba in the semifinals clash because they are a very good and tough side.

    “More so in the Cup competition the surprise element is always there and it gives the competition its aura so we could have chosen differently if we had the options.

    “However, we are already intensifying preparation for the epic final against Nasarawa United. For us the Cup final clash is a must win and a credible present for our chairman for his support.

    “Our target right from the start of the football season is to win a ticket and title, we could not achieve the lofty goal on the platform of the league and here we are in the final of the Cup competition so if we win the Cup title we would have achieved our season’s target.

    “Of course, we will on that strength rightly consider the out gone season a huge success,” said the former Enugu Rangers and FC Taraba marksman to supersport.com.

  • Nasarawa Utd to play home matches in Lafia next season

    Nasarawa Utd to play home matches in Lafia next season

    With the work on the Lafia Township Stadium over 90 per cent completed, Nasarawa United chairman, Danladi Isaac has exuded confidence that the Solid Miners will play all their matches for next  season on their home turf unlike the just passed season.

    The Nasarawa United chairman, who also doubles as the Chairman of the League Managers Association, said he has been assured that the Lafia Township Stadium would be ready for their home games.

    Isaac also hailed his players and the coaches for beating Enyimba to qualify for their first ever Federation Cup final while challenging them to go all out to defeat FC IfeanyiUbah when the grand finale holds in Lagos later this month.

    Nasarawa United played all the games of the recently concluded season at the Aper Aku Stadium, Makurdi and the Abuja National Stadium (CAF Confederation Cup matches alone) and Danladi in a chat with SportingLife noted that they could have finished higher than they did on the log if they had prosecuted all their matches at home with the support of their fans.

  • Nasarawa Utd’s Bashir delighted with scoring return

    Nasarawa Utd’s Bashir delighted with scoring return

    Abdulrahman Bashir is delighted with his impressive scoring form in the 2016 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

    “I’m delighted with my form for Nasarawa United. I believe I can still hit more goals before the end of the season. The goals wouldn’t have been coming if not for the support of my coaches and teammates,” Bashir told Goal.

    On his targets, he said: “What matters most is the team. I haven’t set myself any target in order not to be under pressure. It is not about personal achievement but the general performance of the team. We want to end the season in a comfortable position,” Bashir told Goal.

    Bashir has now bagged 11 goals for the Solid Miners in the ongoing campaign.

  • Nasarawa Utd’s best is yet to come, says Danladi

    Nasarawa United chairman, Isaac Danladi has said that his side’s 3-0 win over Sunshine Stars is a sign of good things to come for the team.

    Goals from Abdulrahman Bashir, Bature Yaro and Thomas Zenke gave the Solid miners the three points  and moved them into the top-10 after amassing 36 points from 25 matches.

    “It was a huge win for us and we thank God for the result. It shows that the boys are now getting their act together. The win is a morale booster and we will continue to work hard in ensuring that we end the season in a good position. The league is still open for any team. Our next game is against Ikorodu United and we will prepare for it with high expectation,” Danladi told SportingLife.

    The chairman of the club owners also dedicated the emphatic win to his daughter, Jemimah Danladi, who graduated from a high school in Jos, Redeemer Peoples Academy on Saturday.

    “I will like to dedicate the win over Sunshine Stars to my daughter, Jemimah because her graduation coincidentally happened on Saturday. I wish her more success and brighter future. Long life and prosperity,” he said.

  • Nasarawa Utd not missing Lafia

    Nasarawa Utd not missing Lafia

    single point after three matches and prop up the rear in the 20-team NPFL standings, United have not played a single game at their traditional home ground, the Lafia Township Stadium, this season because of ongoing renovation work at the facility.

    As a result, domestic games and continental fixtures (United is representing Nigeria in the 2016 CAF Confederation Cup) of the club are currently played at the Aper Aku Stadium and Abuja National Stadium respectively.

    The club’s head coach, Kabiru Dogo has now insisted that playing away from Lafia is not responsible for the club’s underwhelming displays on both fronts this season.

    “No, our poor results have nothing to do with us not playing in Lafia. Our style of football is such that we play the same way at home and (on the road) so that is not a factor,” Dogo told supersport.com.

    United are in action in the CAF Confederation Cup this weekend with Algerian club, CS Constantine, the opposition in a first leg, first round game which will be decided at the Abuja National Stadium.

    Dogo says United are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to progress to the second leg over two legs at the expense of their highly-rated opponents.

    “We are working in conjunction with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as regards getting information on our opponents. Also, the league matches we have played so far this season forms a large chunk of our preparations for the Confederation Cup,” he said.

  • CAF Confed Cup: Nasarawa Utd’s players were pampered in Dakar – Danladi

    CAF Confed Cup: Nasarawa Utd’s players were pampered in Dakar – Danladi

    Nasarawa United chairman,Isaac Danladi has refuted reports that players of the club were not well taken care of when they travelled to Dakar to face Generation Foot FC of Senegal in the return leg,preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup.

    The Solid Miners eventually qualified for the first round of the competition courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate scoreline but just a day after returning to the country,some anonymous players of the squad were quoted to have claimed that they were given $235 (about N46,812) as travelling and feeding allowances.

    Reacting in emphatic terms,Danladi described the report as baseless and unfounded stressing that instead of condemnation,the management of the club deserves to be commended for the professional approach they went about prosecuting the second leg in Dakar.

    The lawyer turned football administrator reminded those peddling the rumour that the team arrived Dakar four clear days before the game to underline the seriousness they attached to the game.

    According to him, on arrival in Dakar, the players were lodged in a five star hotel which he rated higher than where the Super Eagles are usually lodged when they make such trips.

    “The players ate breakfast that was served in buffets at the hotel but we had to in addition arrange for Nigerian food to be made available to them with the help of the Nigerian embassy in Dakar.

    “With this arrangement, throughout their stay in Dakar, the players ate Nigerian food as their lunch and dinner. So,tell me how the management maltreated them,”he asked.

    Danladi,who is also the chairman of the club owners association, described the purported amount given to the players as mere pocket money since all their needs in terms of accomodation and feeding have all been adequately taken care of by the management of the club.

    “That report was really meant to create the wrong impression and paint the management of Nasarawa United in bad light but thank God other personalities from the state were there to attest to the quality treatment we gave to the players.

    “Immediately we arrived Abuja on Sunday,the players were driven to Lokoja for our midweek game against Niger Tornadoes.In essence, the team got to Lokoja three  days before the game to avoid the fatigue of travelling to Lafia and from there journey again to Lokoja.

    “We did all these because we care about the well being of our players. Though, arriving venues of our games in time cost a lot of money but we don’t mind as long as the players are comfortable and are able to help the club actualise its mandate.”